The Cut Tries Uniform Dressing With Uniqlo’s Boiler Suit

Share

Jumpsuits are hard to pull off, both literally and figuratively: It’s tough to find one that fits properly and doesn’t make bathroom runs into an ordeal. So when the Inès de la Fressange for Uniqlo collection came out with a navy-blue boiler suit, we were all a little skeptical. But also intrigued — Uniqlo’s done a great job of capturing Inès de la Fressange’s classic Frenchwoman chic, and who doesn’t want to look like a Parisian motorcycle technician? So five of the Cut’s staff, all women with different tastes and body types, decided to take the suit for a spin. Scroll down to see how it went.

“Despite the initial response of my kids (’Mommy, are you wearing a space suit?’ from my 5-year-old and ‘Are you actually wearing that?’ from my tween daughter), I really liked the way it felt to wear this. The stiffness of the cotton felt utilitarian and pleasant. I flipped the collar and left the top buttons open, rolling the sleeves like I’ve seen in the J.Crew catalogue. To my surprise, my husband was not put off by it. Challenges: I’d need to shorten the legs and take in the waist. I almost wore it to work but reconsidered — it feels more appropriate for a weekend in the park with white sneakers. Also, it didn’t look good with any of my outerwear. Or socks.” —Stella Bugbee, Editorial Director

“I went into this challenge determined to make this blue-cotton frump sexy. I probably failed, but I still tried my damnedest. First, I rolled everything — the sleeves, the pants; even the collar was popped up. The jumpsuit comes equipped with its own waist-cinching buttons, which helped to at least fake the appearance of a less-boxy shape. I also wrapped a brown leather belt around my waist to break up the head-to-toe blue, and added suede-blue pumps from Massimo Dutti. I wouldn’t exactly wear this to a bar on a Friday night, but to work or for an errand-filled Saturday? Absolutely.” —Ashley Weatherford, Associate Beauty Editor

“I felt cute in this jumpsuit — not sexy, exactly, but androgynous, gamine cute. The waist tabs hit me exactly at my natural waist, and when I cinched them, the effect was surprisingly flattering even though the legs were baggy. I rolled the cuffs and added white sneakers (a pair of brand-new Common Projects would probably have looked better, but my aged Vans worked fine). My husband loved the jumpsuit and threatened to borrow it, and at work, I got a bunch of compliments. By the end of the day, I was excited to say good-bye to the stiff fabric, but overall, I would consider this a success. If you are a shorty who thinks you can’t wear jumpsuits, this one will prove you wrong.” —Izzy Grinspan, Senior Editor

“I’ve liked pretty much every piece from Uniqlo’s collaboration with Inès de la Fressange. But when it comes to jumpsuits, I’m never dying to get one. I’m short but I have curves, so it can’t be too long and it needs to stretch. The great thing about this jumpsuit is its workmanlike design: It has structure, but it’s loose. I wore it with an Alpha Industries bomber jacket, turtleneck bodysuit from Aritzia, and Fenty Puma sneakers. Feedback: The Cut’s senior market editor, Diana, said my waist looked small, and my boyfriend, Dre, said I looked like a sexy mechanic and that he would come get a tune-up from my shop anytime.” —Lindsay Peoples, Associate Fashion Editor

“When I first put on the jumpsuit, I immediately felt frumpy, but after posing in the mirror and changing up my hair and makeup, I saw how it could be a really hot (yet kind of unsexy) outfit. The key to making this jumpsuit work is styling it well. I put my hair in a topknot, wore hoops, and put on a strong purple lip. Because it hides my curves, I’d rather wear it with shoes that make me feel feminine — heels or platforms. The longer I wore it, the better I felt in it. My main concern was how long it took me to unbutton and rebutton every time I used the bathroom. I posted a selfie on social media and asked my friends what they thought. The general consensus from my ‘arty’ crew was that it looked great. From my less fashion-conscious friends I got prison jumpsuit, Ghostbusters, and Star Trek jokes. My mom told me it looks great on me but not everyone could wear it well. Thanks, Mom.” —Eve Peyser, Staff Writer